Canada declares PFAS toxic under CEPA

 The Government of Canada has published the State of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) report. This report follows public consultations for the Draft State of PFAS Report, launched in May 2023, and the Updated Draft State of PFAS Report, launched in July 2024, during which over 400 stakeholders provided input.

Prevent substitution of regulated PFAS by unregulated PFAS:

Following the latest science, the Government of Canada has examined PFAS as a class of substances.The class of PFAS comprises of substances meeting the broad chemical definition by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Scientific evidence suggests that concerns identified for human health and the environment for well-studied PFAS are more broadly applicable to other PFAS. A class approach can help prevent the substitution of one regulated PFAS by an unregulated PFAS that potentially possesses similar hazardous properties.

Based on latest science and evidence, this report concludes that the class of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers as defined in the report, is toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act,1999 (CEPA).

Findings on PFAS (excluding fluoropolymers) under CEPA section 64

This report concludes that PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, meet two criteria under section 64 of CEPA:

Proposed actions on PFAS - Risk management approach:

The Government of Canada recognizes that there are numerous uses of PFAS and that they are used in a wide array of sectors of the economy. Certain uses may be critical for safety, health, or economic reasons, and industry will have opportunities to engage and identify practical alternatives. This approach not only protects health and the environment but also supports the competitiveness of Canadian industries while they are finding safer alternatives.

To determine actions for the class of PFAS, excluding fluoropolymers, the Government is publishing a proposed Risk Management Approach with the following environmental and health risk management objectives:

To reduce releases of PFAS into the Canadian environment to avoid adverse effects in a manner that balances environmental protection with economic feasibility

To achieve these objectives and reduce environmental and human exposure to the lowest levels that are technically feasible, the Govt proposes to prioritize action through a phased approach:

Phase 1: Address PFAS in firefighting foams (not currently regulated), due to high potential for environmental and human exposure

Phase 2: Address the uses of PFAS in consumer products where alternatives exist, such as certain textiles, ski waxes, building materials, and food packaging materials

Phase 3: Evaluate sectors requiring further consideration through stakeholder engagement and further assessments

The Risk Management Approach will be open for consultation to all interested parties from March 8 until May 7, 2025.

source:Govt of Canada/polymer-additives.specialchem.com